Floor-sandpapering machine.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. F. HARBERS.

FLOOR SAN-DPAPERING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NQV. 2,19011.

s SIHEETSSHEET 1.

, INVENTUR J Y flederzb/i/yazem,

r F. HARBERS.

FLOOR SANDPAP'ERING MACHINE.

PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908.

APPLIOAIION FILED NOV. 2, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

""lllllllllll TATITNESEEE 1 vi/iZa'r/o d To all-whom it may concern:

Work.

so that the glue therein will not becom f.

nmrnn srA OFFICE- FREDERICK EA -Baits, or moan; ILLINOIS. V

1 rLoons'snnrfnrnnnvemacnrm,

Be it known that .I, FREnnRIoK'HARBERs',

' citizen of the United States, residin at P6.-

oria,'in the county of Peoria and tate of 5 Illinois, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Sandpapering Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, which will enab e others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

. This invention pertains to a machine fors'andpapering floors; relating more particu-' larly to a portable machine that can be moved over the surface to be smoothed and which uses a continuous band or belt of the smoothing material.

An object of my invention is to provide amachine-of the class described having a continuous band of sandpaper for traveling continuously in one direction.

Another object is to provide a continuous band of sand aperso mounted and carried that it will eep ;cool under the heaviest Another-object isto provide a continuous band of sandpaper havin combined therewith means for keeping t e sandpaper coo tened and hold the wood dust'therein.

Another object is to provide a continuous belt of sandpa er and means about which it may travel w e havin a comparatively small area in contact wit the floor-while in operation. 3

. Another object is to' provide a machine which may be used close to a wall as well as in the middle of the-floor.

'Still another object is. to provide a. machinein which the sandpaper is driven continuously in one direction and always parallel tb the grain of the wood being smoothed.

A further object is to provide a machine. having sim le means for permitting the easy removal 0 the bandaor belt of sandpaper whereby others may be easily substituted.

An additionalob ect is to improve upon the machine described in my former alp'fpllca tion for a s'andpapering machine, file anu-' ary8, 1906, Serial No. 295,193.

In the appended drawings Figure 1' is a side elevation of the sandpapering machine.

f Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 isa top view of a ortion of.the machine and a sandpapering elt for use close 11 to the wallsof Specificafion of Letters Patent. I Application filed November 2, 190 Serial No. 341,811.-

I. Fig. 3 is a modified-form of a floor by means 0 Patented June'23, 1908.-

roller-carrying shaft. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main body of the machine with the parts removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detachable sandpaperlng mechanism showing the sandpaper belt carried thereby. Fig. 6 shows a portion of the inside surface of one of the sides of the body shown in Fig. 4 with the device shown in Flg. 5 inconnection therewith. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a front view of a portion of the machine. Fig. 9 is a to view of a roller carrgn member shown in igs.'5, 6, 7,.and 8. ig. 10 is atop view of a frame member shownin Figs. 5, 7 and 8. Fig. 11 is a horizontal-section on line X X Fig. 7. Fig; 12 is a side view of a portion 0 the sandpia. er belt showing -av member around w 'c it partially travels. 13'

is a modified form of sandpaper carrying 7 1 a belt having the blocks. I have found thatthe continuous sandpaper belt does not clog with wood dust, since't per does not become softened by'heat caused e glue in thesan'dpay frictionand therefore the wood dust-can not adhere to and fill the paper but'this will.

be more fully explained later. AA indicates the two si body of the machine which-carry a floor B upon whichis mounted an electric motor, or

' other ower device indicated at C. To the.

sides are ivoted two levers D the lower;

des of the main ends of whic have mounted thereon the sup porting wheels E; the long extensions of. each a said lever having attache thereto one end of i a rod F- These latter members extend rear wardly to andthrough an ad'ustable member G whose lower end is pivote toa pair of side arms I-I .used for the machine over the a handle bar H. The rods.

F are threaded at their rear ends and are pro- I vided with crank arms J by which they may be shifted in the direction of their lengths for the p oses hereinafter. named.

At is a caster wheel beneath the may -AA, this together with. the wheels E furnishing the support for the entire machine and permitting the latter to be shifted and directed at will. j

aim 1 In Figs. 6 and 9 is shown a frame comprising side members L rigidly connected as by members MM or other suitable means and designed to occupy a fixed position within the main body between the side members AA. The inner surface of the sides AA are provided with lugs N and O the former being near the front, the latter substantially midway of the length as clearly shown in Fig. 4 as well as inFig. 6. In the latter figureit Will be seen that thesides LL are designed to rest against these lugs, the position of the lat- I ter being such as to hold the said sides L with spectively, both bodies being thus made to the lower edges in a horizontal line. A bolt or rod P is designed to hold the body LM Within the body AA said .bolt passing through holes Q'and R in the former and latter rehave rigid relation. At the forward end of each side L, at the bbttom, are two horizontal extensions S forming together with-said side an inverted T for receiving a" roller carrying member shown in Fig. 10, which is a top view. This latter member is'a casting having the sides T connected as by the member U orsimilar means forming a rigid .body. The sides T are vertically slotted the bottom of the slots being enlarged as shown to conform to the T-shaped extremities of the body LM just described which they are designed to receive. It will be noted that in Figs. 5, 7 and 8 the body TU is slipped upon the T- shaped extremities where it has a longitudinal shifting movement when desired. On the sides T of the bodyTU are hubs V which are bored as shown'in Fi 5 to formbearings for shafts W. Said sha ts W are each provided with a roller 2 each being referably grooved atintervals as shown in ig. 8, the portions of the full diameter of one roller entering a corresponding groove in its neighbor. 4

Fig. 3 shows this idea clearly. By this means the rollers can be of large size while their axes are kept as close together as those of rollers of a smaller size. At 3 is a large roller mounted on a shaft 4 having bearings in a slidable block 5 suitably held in a slot 6 in the rear ends of the sides of the body LM, Figs. 6 and 7, there being an adjusting screw 7 for shifting the said block whereby the shaft and roller may be placed at a de sired point.

At 8 in Fi 12 I have illustrated an endless belt whic fits upon and is carried by the rollers 2, as shown in Fig. 7, and upon this endless belt 8 and the roller 3, just described, is placed an endless belt 9 of sandpa er or pfeferably what is known as garnet 0 0th.

owever, other suitable material such as leather, canvas or the like, which is flexible and. strong could be sanded for use also. It

is to be observed that the outlines of the combined bodies LM and TU, as shown in Fig. 7, is enough smaller than the sanded belt 9 to permit the latter to be slipped from the rollers over said body so that anew belt may replace an old one as often as desired, but this will be more fully described later. When the entire machine is assembled it ap ears as in Fig. 1 the bolt P securing the ody LM in place as already described. It will be noted in the figure last named as well as in Fig. 7, that the lower surface of the body AA is raised upon the wheels E t rough the adjustable member G, before described, which has pivoted thereto a latch 10 which engages a cross member 11 carried between the side arms H described the body being sustained in the raised position, and when it is desired to allow the sanded belt to reach the floor the latch is raised and the member G is allowed to move forward until afi adjust ing screw 12 therein meets the cross-member 11 thus arresting the lowering movement at the time the sanded 'belt contacts with the floor. The adjustment of said screw 12 permits of any vertical adjustment to allow of more or less pressure of the sanded belt upon the floor. The shaft 4 of the pulley 3 is provided with a belt pulley 13 by which motion is imparted to the sanded belt through a belt 14 from a roller 15 on the motor C, the roller 3 being thus driven thereby imparts movement of the sanded belt 9, this having a bearing upon the-floor equal to the distance between the centers of the outside rollers 2. It is my purpose to keep thesel rollers as large as ossible so that the sand-belt will be bent but at the same time it is the desire to have the rollers small enough so that they can work close to the base board. It has been found that a three inch roller will permit the machine to Work up slightly inside of the position occupied by the usual carpet strip or floor molding, but in order to permit this and still keep thebearing points 0 the rollers at the floor as close together as possible I groove the rollers as already descrlbed so that they can fit into one another and revolve together in that position. However, I do not intend to confine myself to this construction since smooth rollers can be used Wlth good results but the bearing points would not be as close together. The traveling belt 8 is preferably a piece of rubber belting of good weight having a series of transverse cuts therein indicated by the numeral 16 in Fig.

small rollers. As a matter of fact leather could also be used forthis purpose or perha s other materials, but 1 have found heavy rul iber belting to give perfect satisfaction.

The sandpaper in all sandpapering machines, regardless of the purpose for which such machines are used, have :always had the disadvantage of becoming filled with wood dust which it removes from the surface being smoothed. This has been caused by friction which reduces the glue to a soft state, by heat, to which the wood dust at once adheres and in which it remains and which in a very short time almost entirely fills the paper rendering it useless. On machines for sandpapering wheel-spokes this is not so much the case since in shifting and turning the spokes upon the paper the latter does not heat as fast, the spoke in its turning movement always finding an unused cool surface; but in machines used in planing mills for smoothing broad surfaces the filling of the paper always happens for the reasons herein stated. I have found that if beneath the paper a constantly moving member is employed behind the sand belt to receive the pressure, as shown, for instance, in the drawings accompanying this application, the paper is kept perfectly cool with the result that it cannot become filled with the dust and rendered-useless. It is a fact, however, that the sand belt will also keep cool if passed over bare rollers since the time of contact with the floor is of but a moments duration it having had no time to become heated to cause the trouble named.

It will be noted that in Fig. 7 but a very few inches of the paper is in contact with the floor at any time and after leaving the floor. it passes upward to the roller 3 havin ample time to cool after leaving the flooran before again contacting therewith. It is not my desire to confine myself to the use of the belt become filled. The manner of removing the belt is quite simple. It is only necessary to remove the bolt P, hereinbefore described, which secures the body LM .within the body AA and this permits the former to drop from the said body AA. It canthen be drawn forward from beneath the machine tipped up on one side and the belt removed and replaced by another. It is then again pushed beneath the machine and raised slightly to bring the holes Q and R into register so that the bolt P can be replaced, the machine being at once'read y for further work, the change r uiring but a few minutes.

have not provided means for tightening the traveling belt 8 since it is not foun necessary, but I have rovided means for tightening the sand-be t which is exceedingly simple. In each of the extensions of the body TU in Figs. 5 and-10, at 17, is a" notch into which enter the extremities of a bail 18 pivoted at 19 inside the body AA the notches engaging said extremities when the body LM 1s raised into position, just described. Connected to the top of the bail is a threaded crank 22 or similar member by which the rod may be adjusted in the direction of its length to tilt the bail on its pivot, the extremities of the latter consequently shifting the body TU upon the guides S of the body LM to tighten or loosen the sand belt as required, the roller 3 being relatively stationary its adjusting means 5 and 7, Fig. 7, being used merely to properly locate said roller whereby the \tilting of the bail, just described, will be within proper limits. 7 I

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11 I provide means for properly adjusting the body TU so that the sand belt will be made to centralize itself, that is, so that it will run in the middle of the belt 8 or without running over to one side. in the parallel extensions of this body TU snugly fit the guides S of the body LL but gradually widening toward the rear as shown whereby said body can be ro'cked in a hori- The forward end of the groove 7 zontal plane to bring its rollers 2 (not shown head and shoulder of the screw will hold it within the notch but by turning it one way or the other the extension 23 of the body TU will be moved toward or away from the body LM bein permitted so to do by the widened rooves escribed. A lock-nut 28 serves to old the set screw 24 in any adjustment, the body TU being thereby held in a stationary position. I have provided an extension for the machine by which the floors can be sand papered close u to the walls. The shaft W which carries t e rollers 2 are provided at one side of the machine with extensions W which roject beyond the caster wheel E at said rig t side, each having a flange W Figs. 2 and 3. Upon each shaft is laced a rol er W grooved in the manner escribed'their outer ends having sockets, one of which is shown at W in Fig. 3, to receive nuts one being also shown in the figure last referred to at W which are placed upon the threaded ends of the said shaft-extensions to hold the roller in place. The shaft 4 carrying roller 3 is likewise extended as shown at 28, Figs. 3 and 5, and has a flange 29 for receiving the end of a roller 30 correspondin substantially in size to the roller 3. This ro ler is also provided with a socket for receiving a nut 31. A traveling belt 32 corresponding to the belt 8 already described, is carried on the roller W and a sand belt 33 is placed in position and corresponds exactly to the belt 9. It will now be seen that I have du licated the belt 9 and its carrying means but ave placed them outside the machine and they are adjusted in the same manner and by the same means as said belt 9.

It would not be possible to sandpaper a floor close up to a wall that extends parallel to the line of movement of the machine since the sand-belt 9 could be brought no closer to the wall than the distance between it and the outer edge of the wheel E at that side, and it is therefore, my purpose to place a sand belt outside the machine so that its edge will run close to the wall. It is desirable to have the rollers W slightly larger in diameter than the rollers 2 inside the machine, so that when they are in use the belt 9 of the said rollers 2, for obvious reasons, will not touch the floor.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification of the shafts of the rollers'2 and W in which 34 indicates one of the shafts of the rollers '2 into which is screwed the threaded end of a shaft 35 corresponding to W, Fig. 2. By this means the shaft extensions may be placed in position or removed together with the rollers and other parts as desired. In this form there are no projecting shafts on the machine.

In use the machine is guided parallel to the grain of the wood and when the front of the machine reaches the wall the body A contacts with the wall in front and stops further progress of the machine. The sand belt is then raised from the floor by the means described and the machine is then drawn away from the wall and adjusted to a new position, the sand belt being once more lowered to position for work. An adjustment of the crank 12 on the member G, as before explained, permits the sand belt to be given a permanent adjustment for a particular'j ob, and the cranks K of the rods F when operated independently serve to tip the ma.- chine toward one side or the other in order to properly level the belt or make it conform properly to an inclined surface.

In Fig. 13 is a modified form of sand-belt.

carrying means, wherein two large rollers 41 are illustrated while between them are the small rollers 42 corresponding to rollers 2 and having the traveling belt 43 corresponding to the belt 8. I may use this form for heavy work or for use entirely on floors where it is not necessary to work up close to the walls. The larger rollers do not cause the sand-belt to bend upon as small a curve as that of the rollers 2 there being less chance of cracking the glue on said belt. I have found this machine to work on all kindsof woods in a perfect manner even after having been varnished or oiled, old floors being cleaned as well as newly laid ones. It is also found that the inter-locking rubber tile in use at the present time is readily leveled and smoothedl By keeping the contact area of the belt 9 small there is less chance for heating and softening of the glue. A small area, however, works just as Well as a larger one and obviously requires less power. It would be possible, in this connection, to use but one of the rollers 2 if desired since it is not intended to use exactly three of them or in fact any stated number. It is desirable to have the endless member 8 a non-conductor of heat so that it will retain heat as little as possible and consequently more readily cool. When made of leather or rubber it is sufficiently conductive of heat, however, to readily remove any slight heat from the sand-belt. This would also be true of the rollers if of Wood or other non-conducting material if the sand-belt were used on them by preference. The auxiliary sand-belt 33 may be used at either side of the machine since neither a right hand nor a left hand machine could alone meet all contingencies that might arise in sandpapering a floor.

What I claim is 1. In a floor smoothing machine, the combination with a frame provided with supporting wheels adapted to travel over a floor, of an endless abrading belt supported, independently of said wheels, by said frame, in position to have a small portion of its lower fold brought into contact with the fioor, means for adjustably fixing the pressure of said portion upon the floor, and means borne by the framefor driving said belt.

2. In a floor smoothing'machine, the combination with a series of revolubly mounted parallel rollers each provided with a series of circumferential grooves receiving those portions of oontiguousrollers lying between corried by the frame, an endless abrading belt carried by said rollers and having its ends unequally distant from the. floor, means for lowering the frame to bring the lower portion adapted for holding the belt in working posiof the belt into contact with the floor, and

means carried bythe frame for driving one ofsaid rollers.

4.'Th e combination with a frame provided with supporting and steering wheels,

of an endless abrading belt carried by the frame with its lower fold below thelatter,

, and means for adjusting the frame vertically with respect tosaid wheels, to press the belt upon the floor over which the wheels move.

5. The combination with a frame provided with supporting and steering wheels, of an endless abrading belt carried b the frame, and means at one end of the frame for adjusting the oppositeend vertically to throw one end of' the beltonly. into and out om the frame beyond a of contact with the-floor.

6. The combination with a frame and wheels for supportin and steering the same, of an endless incline abrading belt, a roller mounted in the frame for carrying the u per end of said belt,a series of contiguous orizontal rollers for the o posite end of the belt, and means for verticallyadjusting the series of rollers last mentioned.

7. The combination with a frame and wheels for supporting and steering the same,

of an endless inclined abrading belt, a roller carried by the frame for supporting the u per end of the belt, a series of contiguous librizontal rollers for the opposite end of the belt,

a cushioning belt passing aroundsaid series into contact with the floor.

9. In a machineof the class described, a frame carrying all the working parts and pro- 'vided with supporting; and steering Wheels, an endless sand Iaper belt, means for carrying- I and driving 4; e same in one direction, art of suchg'neans being designed to hold the elt in worklng contact with the floor, and a travelmg member carried on said means and with Y which and on which the belt travelsrfor the purposes described. r v

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame carrying all the working parts and provided with supportin and steering wheels, an endless sandpaper be t adapted to be driven in one direction, revoluble means for carrying and for driving the belt, part of said means being ofa lower elevation than the other and tion at the floor surface, and a' traveling 1 member between thev belt and the carrying .mea'ns last described, for keeping the belt cool where it contacts with the floor.

- 11.- In amachine of-the class described, a

wheeled frame, aroller-carrying frame secured therein but removable therefrom, and a sandpaper belt carried on the rollers and adapted to be slipped from the same when the said wheeled frame.

12. -In a machine of the class described, a wheeled frame, a roller carrying frame-detachabl secured therein, a series of rollers having earings in said roller carrying frame, and an endless sandpaper belt carried upon and driven by saidrollers and removable from the latter in a direction parallel to their axes after the roller frame is removed from the said wheeled frame. I l

13. In a machine of the class described, a

'said roller-carrying-frame is removed from wheeled frame adjustable for heightfor the purposes described, a secondary frame removably secured to said wheeled frame, a sandpaper belt carried in said secondary frame, means for driving the belt for the purposes described, said belt being removable from the secondary-frame when the latter removed from the said wheeled frame.

14. In a machine of the-class described, a wheeled frame adjustable for height for the purposes described, a secondary frame removably carried thereby, a sandpaper belt within said secondary frame, means in the latter for carrying said belt and for driving the same in one direction, said secondary frame bein of smaller area than the area inclosed b t e belt whereby said belt can. be remove over said'frame.

15. In a machine of the class described, a

wheeled frame, a secondary frame removably secured thereto, a continuous sand paper belt, means in the secondary frame for carry ing and drivin the belt, part of said means adapted for ho ding the belt in working position upon the floorsurface, means for ad usting the beltfor height for the purposes eX-l plained,the secondary frame and the belt being removable from the wheeled frame as a unit, the belt also being removable from'said secondary frame. x

16.. In a machine of the class described, a

wheeled frame, a secondary frame removably secured thereto, a sand-pa er. belt,

means carried by the secondary ame forcarrying and for driving the said sandpaper belt, the latter frame and its belt lying etween the wheels of the said wheeled frame, and means also carried by the secondgly frame for carryin and for driving an au iary sand said whee frame, and an auxiliary belt for aper'be t outside'the wheels of the e the last named carryin means, both belts being removable from t eir carrying means. 17. In a floor sandpapering machine a.

wheeled supporting frame, an endless sand-- paper belt, means on which itis carried and y which it is driven, means for adj ustm the belt for height and means associated wit the 1 drivin it, means for varying the tension of latter means by which to level the belt and tilt it transversely for adjusting it to inclined surfaces.

18. Ina floor sandpapering machine, a

carrying frame, means by WhlOll it is supported and carried, an endless sandpaper elt, means for carrying the same and for the be t, means also for vertically adjusting versely for the purposes set forth. machine, a

the belt, and other means associated with the last named means for tilting the belt transsup orting frame having carrying wheels, an

en ess sandpaper belt, means on which the belt is carried and by which it is driven, an auxiliary sandpaper belt outside the frame and outside the carrying wheels, means for carry' and driving it, such means being carried y the same means on WhlCll the first named belt is carried, means for raising and lowerin both said belts, and other means for tipping the belts in a transverse direction I for the purposes stated.

21. In a floor sandpapering machine, a sup orting frame having carrying wheels, an en ess sandpaper belt, means on which said belt is carried and by which it is driven, an

auxiliary sandpaper belt outside the frame and outside the carryi wheels, means for carrying and driving sai auxiliary belt, and means for raising and lowerin both said belts for the purposes describe and other means for varying the tension of the belts.

22. Ina sandpapering machine, a wheeled frame, an endless sandpaper belt, means carried in the frame for carrying and for driving the belt, an auxiliary belt outside the machine and carried and driven therefrom, means for changing the elevation of the belts, means for tilting the belts in transverse direction for the purposes stated, and

gtllier means for aflecting the tension of bothe ts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK HARBERS.

Witnesses:

L. M. THURLOW, A. KEITHLEY. 

